Internal-combustion engine



June 9, 19254 1,541,270

c. B. MEREDITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 27, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTUR C/wzw 19. zl leredgm ATTORNEY June 9, 1925.

C. B. MEREDETH INTERNAL COMBUS TION ENGI NE Filed April 27, 1923 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles B. 1163222321.

ATTORNEY June 9, 1925.

C. B. MEREDITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 27, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 671412165 5. Mew'lfizh ATTORN EY Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,541,270 PATENT TOFFICE.

CHARLES B. MEREDITH, OF CORNING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. PRATT, 0F CORNING, NEW YORK.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed April 27, 1923. Serial 1T0. 634,979.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. MEREDITH, a citizen of the United States,.residing at Corning, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and as an obejct has the provision of simple inlet and exhaust valves, which are so formed with respect to each other as to occupy the place of only a single valve, means being provided in the valve structure for preheating the intake gases, and for also effecting a cooling of the exhaust valve.

,I attain these and other objects by means of the construction and combination of the various parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accom anying drawings, wherein I have illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention F i re 1, is a vertical section of an interna combustion engine showing the valves closed and the engine piston at the bottom of its stroke;

Fig. 2, is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 22, of Fig. 1, illustrating the exhaust passage;

Fi 3, is a similar view, taken approxi mate y on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, is a section, taken approximately on the line 14 of Fig. 1, illustrating the inlet passage;

Fig. 5, is a valve, and

Fig. 6, is a vertical section of the exhaust valve, taken approximately on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

As shown, the engine comprises a cylinder 5, in which is mounted a piston 6, the latter being connected to a crank-shaft 7, by means of a connecting rod 8. Surrounding the upper portion of the cylinder is a water-jacket 9, while closing the top of the cylinder is a removable water-jacketed head 10. These parts can be of any preferred design, and as the design of a single cylinder, its valve assembly and operating mechanism, is similar in an engine having any number of cylinders, only a single cylinder and its associated valve structure will be hereinafter described, but it is to be understood that the detail elevation of the exhaust engine can include any number of cylinders.

Formed integral with the cylinder 5, but spaced therefrom by the water-jacket 9, is a tubular bore 11, which is also provided with a water-jacket through its upper portion, as shown. Communicating with the bore 11 are upper and lower laterall extending horizontal passages that, provides exhaust and intake ports 12 and 13, respectively. The portion of the bore 11 above the exhaust passage 12 is, as shown, greater in diameter than the ortion of the bore below such passage, while below the passage 13, the bore 11 terminates in a chamber 14, that is open on the outside, as shown, such opening being closed by a cover 15. Below the chamber 14 is another bore 16, that is smaller in diameter than the bore 11, and which is formed in axial alignment therewith.

Adapted to be slidably mounted in the bore 11, is the valve structure, which comprises an outer tubular member 17 that is so designed as to serve the purpose of an exhaust valve, and a poppet intake valve 18, the stem 19 of which extends through a bore 20 formed in a central tube 21 in the exhaust valve 17.

The upper portion of the exhaust valve 17 is flared outwardly, and this flared portion is adapted to seat against a bevelled edge 22 formed on the top of the bore 11. The valve 17, below the flared portionthereof, is provided .with radial fins 23, which are disposed longitudinally of the enlarged portion of the bore 11 that is formed above the exhaust passage 12, the lower end of the fins terminating above the bottom of the exhaust passage 12.

The construction is such that, when the exhaust valve is raised, hot gases, upon being forced out of the cylinder, will flow downwardly exterior of the body of the valve through the spaces between the fins 23, until they reach the passage 12, when they will be directed laterally through this passage. In doing so, heat from the gases will be absorbed by. the fins 23, as will be readily understood.

The interior of the valve 17 is provided with a plurality of webs 24, which can be,

if so desired, disposed radially in alignment with the fins 23. The webs 24 divide the hollow interior of the valve, between the central tube 21 and the exterior wall thereof, into a plurality of vertical passages 25,

which are so designed as to extend upwardly from the intermediate portion of the valve to the top thereof, said webs terminating at a depression 26 that is formed in the head of the valve 17. The upper edge of the depression is bevelled to form a seat 27 for the correspondingly bevelled face of the intake valve 18. Slots 28 are formed in the portion of the outer wall of the valve that is positioned opposite the intake passage 13 when the valve is down, and the purpose of these slots is to permit the intake gases to flow in to the passages 25 when the poppet valve 18 is raised.

The lower end of the valve 17 is closed. This end is provided with a threaded shank 29 that receives the upper end of a sleeve 30 positioned in the chamber 1 1 below the bore 11.

The sleeve 30 encloses the lower portion of the stem 19 of'the intake valve 18, and has its bottom provided with an outwardly extending flange 31.

A tubular push-rod 32, that is slidabl'y mounted in the bore 16 rides on a cam 33 formed on a camshaft-34, the top of the push rod being spaced slightly from the flange 31, so that the head of the valve 17 can rest tightly on edge 22. The cam 33.

is so designed as to raise the valve 17 during the exhaust stroke of the engine. For the purpose of retainingthe valve seated, except when it is raised, I use an expansiblc spring 35 which surrounds the sleeve 30,

and at one end bears against the flange 31 thereof, and at the other against the top of the chamber 14.

The stem 19 of the valve 18 extends downwardly through the sleeve 30, and has its lower extremity provided with a collar 33 whose purpose is to retain in position a coil spring 37 that surrounds the stem of the intake valve, the upper end of the spring bearing against the threaded shank 29 of the exhaust valve.

The exhaust valve push-rod 32 carries therein an intake valve actuating tappet 38, one end of the tappet bearing on a cam 39 on the cam-shaft 34, while the other end of the tappet is adapted to engage with the end of the stem 19 of the valve 18 and raise the valve off of its seat 27 on the intake stroke of the engine, a slight clearance being left between the end of the stem and the top of the tappet, so that the head of the valve can rest tightly 0n the seat 27 during the other strokes of the engine.

Spring 37 which holds the valve 18 to its seat need not have as much tension as spring 35, and the tension of the latter spring should be such as to keep the valve 17 seated when the cam 39 has raised the valve 18.

At the beginning of the exhaust stroke Valve 17 by means of cam 33 is opened and by said cam 1: held open during the complete exhaust stroke. When the valve 17 is raised, burnt gases in the cylinder will be forced outwardly through the assage 12, as the piston moves upwardly in the cylinder.

The cams 33 and 39 are formed so that when the valve 17 is again seated on the bev elled edge 22, the cam 39 will move the tappet 38 into contact with the end of the stem 19 of the intake valve 18 and thus raise this valve away from the seat 27, the valve 17 remaining seated during such movement. Simultaneously to the raising of the valve 18, the piston 6, on moving downwardly in the cylinder, will draw the fuel gases into the passages 25 from the passage 13, and the gases will pass upwardly through such passages, around the head of the valve, and into the combustion chamber of the en ine.

As heat from the exhaust gases has een absorbed by the fins 23 and also by the webs 24, it will be observed that the incoming cool charges of fuel gases will, in flowing through the passages 25, become heated.

Thus it'will be observed, that by my invention the construction of the valves of an internal combustion engine is improved. One of the main benefits derived being that the heat of the exhaust gases is carried from the exhaust valve seat by the fins 23 to the webs 24 and is used for vaporizing the incoming fuel charges. Another advantage is that the exhaust valve 17 and the passage 12 are much larger than heretofore practical in engines of this character. A still further advantage is the provision of the fins 23 which elements tend to keep the exhaust valve 17 from warping, and they also strengthen the walls of the valve.

Furthermore, the passages 25 which are formed in the exhaust valve 17 for the incoming charges of fuel will permit such gases to enter the combustion chamber of the engine at the nearest possible point to combustion, and the gases will be preheated without the attachment of any preheating apparatus. The two valves will also remain at a more uniform temperature, and this will prevent the formation of carbon, thereby relieving the necessity of grinding the valves as often as heretofore in engines of this character.

WVhile I have herein described the principal of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim is 1. A valve structure for internal combustion engines comprising a tubular exhaust valve having radially extending fins,

Inn

and an intake valvemounted in the exhaust valve and being surrounded by the fins.

2. A valve structure for internal combustion engines comprising a tubular exhaust valve mounted in a bore having two diameters, the portion of the valve disposed in the portion of the bore of greatest diameter being provided with a plurality of spaced heat absorbing fins extending outwardly from the wall of the valve to the wall of the bore.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with a valve casingconsisting of a single bore intersecting separate exhaust and intake passages, of a valve structure 1ncluding intake and exhaust valves mounted in the bore and closing the top thereof, the exhaust valve being provided with a plurality of heat absorbing fins that surround the intake valve.

4. A valve structure for internal combustion engines comprising a tubular exhaust valve, an intake valve mounted in said exhaust valve, and being spaced therefrom, and heat absorbing fins in the space between the two. said valves.

In testimony whereof I hereunto sign my name this 20th day of April, 1923.

CHARLES B. MEREDITH. 

